The Tutor's Son
by canadiandutchiefangirl
Summary: Duty or love; which would you choose? • • Anneliese is living the life of a princess: attending important events, going to council meetings, and being trained by her mother to take the throne one day. Then a childhood friend comes back into her life and she is faced with a difficult decision: Duty or love? Originally posted on Wattpad under the username aclmohle.
1. Chapter 1

"Your mother would like to speak with you, Your Highness."

I looked up from my book to see Thompson, one of the guards regularly on duty. "Thank you, Thompson," I said, putting down my book. "Do you know what it is about?" I asked as I walked towards the door.

He shook his head.

In the throne room, Mother sat on her throne with two men on her right. One was my tutor, Mr. Cobbler, and the other was a young man who looked vaguely familiar. He watched me as I approached them, seemingly recognizing me.

"Good morning, Mother," I said once I had reached them. "And good morning, Mr. Cobbler."

Mr. Cobbler smiled, but looked tired. "You remember my son, Julian?" he asked, gesturing to the young man beside him.

 _Julian!_ Suddenly I realized why he looked familiar. "Of course!" I said, turning to him. "My, it has been a while, has it not?" Julian had left to go to school when we were young.

He smiled back at me, although a bit nervously. "It is nice to see you again, Your Highness."

 _Your Highness, that's a bit formal,_ I thought. _I would have to tell him not to call me that, but not here in front of my mother._

"As you know," said Mother. "Mr. Cobbler is planning on retiring and I have deemed his son as a suitable replacement."

I turned to Julian in surprise, _he's not that much older than me, is he?_

"I just finished university, Your Highness," he said quickly. "And I realize that I will probably not be able to teach you very much more than you know already, but I will be able to supervise and help you as you pursue your studies on your own."

I couldn't help but smile at that. Julian had always been quite wordy as a child, but now he was practically eloquent.

"That sounds perfect," I said, smiling and turning to Mother, who looked satisfied.

"Lovely, that is settled then." She turned to Mr. Cobbler and Julian. "Would you join us for dinner this evening?"

Mr. Cobbler bowed his head. "We would not want to intrude, Your Majesty," he said quickly.

"It would not be intruding at all, Mr. Cobbler," I said. "It is quite a casual affair, and you two are practically family."

"It is the least we can do after all of the years you have worked here," my mother added.

"Very well," Mr. Cobbler conceded.

"You will be coming as well, Julian?" I said as they were turning to leave. "I would very much like to catch up."

He smiled nervously again. "Of course, Your Highness, I would like that."

As he and Mr. Cobbler left the room, Julian glanced back at me and I smiled at him.

Mother looked happy. "It will be nice to have that boy around here again. You two have always gotten along and I like him very much."

I nodded in agreement but could help but think that he was not really a boy anymore. The Julian I knew had grown up.

• •

That afternoon, I had a bit of a hard time keeping my mind on my books. My thoughts kept straying to memories of Julian and I when we were children. We would run in the gardens and explore the castle. Once, we had even splashed around in the fountain, although neither of our parents were very pleased with us afterwards.

I wondered what he was like now. Clearly, he was well-educated and eloquent, but was he still the king, loyal Julian that I remembered? The boy who loved puzzles and mysteries and always protected me, whether it was from the mud that would have surely given our capers away, or from the geese that so frightened me when I was small.

Closing my book - because clearly I was not getting any reading done anyway. I redirected my gaze to the window that looked out over the garden. Two figures stood near the rose patch. As they walked nearer, I saw that one man was Thomas, the head gardener, and the other was... why it was Julian.

They took leave of each other and while Thomas headed back to the garden, Julian stood still for a moment. He looked around, his eyes gliding over the side of the castle. Too late I realized he would see me seemingly spying on him from this window. We locked eyes for a moment and I quickly waved at him. He hesitated for a moment, but then waved back.

• •

Julian knew he shouldn't feel so nervous around the royal family, but he did. He felt so out of place here, like he didn't quite belong. It was all well and good when he was child, running up and down the halls like it was nothing, but now he had grown up. Now he knew about royal protocol and had responsibilities.

Normally, he would have gone up to the royal library. Libraries always soothed him, but _she_ was there and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about her yet. So, instead, he walked the halls, reacquainting himself to the familiar castle.

Apparently she was very bright, the princess. He had heard that a lot from his father. However, this served only to make him more nervous at the prospect of teaching her. _Why did I agree to this?_  
But really none of that would matter if he kept feeling so darned _nervous_ around her.

°• •°

 _ **A/N**_

 _ **Hi everyone and thanks so much for reading the first chapter! If you liked it, leave a vote or a comment behind, they're much appreciated.**_

 ** _So I've always loved Anneliese and Julian's relationship and wanted to explore more of how it started. I hope you'll all join me as I do that. I_** _ **promise to post regularly and I won't leave you hanging.**_

 _ **Also, if y'all are interested in more Barbie stuff, I have a Barbie tumblr account (see above) and a YouTube channel where I post Barbie lyric videos (Barbie Music Lyrics). Come and say hi, I'd love to chat.**_

 ** _Love you all!_**

 _ **\- aclmohle**_


	2. Chapter 2

Needless to say, there were two parties anticipating supper both with excitement and nervousness. Both found themselves standing in front of the mirror longer than usual that evening.

• •

"Is there a royal guest tonight?" asked Maria as I got ready for dinner that night, noticing that I was a little more concerned about my appearance that I usually was. "I don't think I saw any carriages arrive."

"No," I said, a little absentmindedly as I tried to decide on shoes. "Just an old friend."

• •

"I don't think they'll kick you out if your tie isn't perfect," said Mr. Cobbler, coming up behind his son, who was retying his tie for the umpteenth time. "Princess Anneliese said that it was quite a casual affair."

Julian looked at his father, eyebrows raised. "Which means it will be the fanciest event I ever attend."

Mr. Cobbler smiled. "Not necessarily." He turned Julian to face him and spoke as he tied the tie properly. "The queen invited me to Princess Anneliese' 18th birthday last year." He smiled contentedly at his handiwork before he continued. "And we were both at the late king's funeral."

They were quiet for a moment as they recalled that solemn day. Julian remembered how Anneliese had managed to keep herself together for the entire ceremony. It wasn't until after everyone had left and he had gone to see if she was alright, that she had fully broken down. Unlike what her appearance or upbringing might suggest she was one of the strongest people Julian knew. He wondered if that was still the same.

• •

I really should not be this nervous, I told myself as I headed down for supper. Mr. Cobbler and Julian had not arrived yet when I entered the dining room, so only Mother sat at the table. At the head of the table, she was reading a letter.

"Listen to this, darling," she said as I sat down. "We are recruiting less young men into the guard than we need." She looked at me expectantly.

"Right," I said, thinking quickly for ideas. "What if we raised the pay for guards so that there would be more incentive to become one?"

"I suppose..." said Mother, which I knew meant she was not fully satisfied with my answer.

I stared at the wall. "We could," I spoke slowly, making sure my thoughts could catch up with my words. "We could offer to pay guards through their training period. Perhaps not full pay, maybe 75%. That way they are not left for three months with no money to send home."

Mother smiled. "Yes, I believe that is what I will do."

Someone cleared their throat and we turned to see Mr. Cobbler and Julian standing at the door. Both were smiling, and Julian looked impressed. They must have heard our conversation, I thought.

• •

The dinner was going very well. Mother and Mr. Cobbler spoke the most with Julian and I contributing occasionally. As we started the third course, I saw Julian reaching for the wrong fork. Unsure of what else to do, I kicked him under the table. He looked up in surprise.

I pointedly looked at him and then picked up the proper fork. He smiled and nodded his head in thanks.

"So, Julian," I said. "Where did you study again?"

"West Harbour, Your Highness," he said.

"Did you like it there?"

"Yes, of course, I was very happy for the opportunity, and the school had a wonderful library."

"Was it close to the docks?"

"A little nearer than I would have preferred." He grinned. "On market days, it smelled very strongly of fish."

I smiled. Julian hated the smell of fish. "You must have very much enjoyed that."

"Indeed, Your Highness," he said, looking down at his food, but glancing up to smirk at me.

And just like that, we were comfortable around each other again. The tension was shattered, replaced with an old familiarity. As the evening wore on and the familiarity stayed, I knew that I had been nervous for nothing. It would be nice to have him around again.

• • •

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for reading this chapter! If you liked it, please leave behind a vote and a comment, they're much appreciated.

If you're interested in more princess and the pauper fanfiction, kktheunicorn has some one-shots if you want to check them out.

Love you all!

-aclmohle


	3. Chapter 3

We decided to meet in the library at nine-thirty the next morning to discuss what we would study. After breakfast, I walked down to the library, my favourite pink gown swishing around my ankles.

Pushing the library door open ahead of me, I looked around, but didn't see Julian. I _was_ rather early, so I browsed the shelves, looking for a new book to read. As I turned a corner, I bumped into somebody.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said quickly, looking up to see Julian's blue eyes centimeters away from mine. I had forgotten how bright his eyes were.

After a few seconds, Julian blinked and shook his head quickly. "Oh, it was my fault, Your Highness." He quickly stepped away.

I sighed. "No, no, I should really look where I am going. And, also, please just call me Anneliese. You always used to."

He looked at me again, a more confident smile spreading over his face. "Of course, Anneliese."

We walked to the large table at the back of the library. "Of course, in front of my mother the formal title will need to be used."

"Just like the old times," he said, looking aside at me with a smile.

Sitting down at the table, I noticed a large pile of books that Julian had clearly already stacked there. He began to sort through them as he sat down.

"So, my father said you are particularly interested in the natural sciences."

"Yes, specifically geology."

"Geology, interesting," he leaned more comfortably in his chair. "So how many of the geology books in this library have you read?"

"All of them."

He blinked. "All of them?"

"I mean, I have not studied all of them extensively, but, yes, I have read all of them."

"Alright," he said, a smile spreading over his face. "Let's do a quiz."

I grinned. This is going to be fun. "Are you well-versed in geology, then, Julian?"

He grinned. "Quite."

Sitting forward and squaring my shoulders, I looked at him expectantly.

"Let's start with something fairly simple," said Julian. "What is stratigraphy?"

 _That is_ _easy_. "The fairly new study of rock layers and their layering, called strata and stratification respectively."

"What does cross-bedding always indicate?"

"Either ripples or dunes."

"What is the difference between these two?"

"Ripples are under six centimeters, and dunes are over six centimeters."

"What is centifolia?"

"A trick question," I said, smiling. "That is the specific epithet for the Provence rose, Rosa centifolia, also known as cabbage rose or Rose de Mai. Coincidentally, also my favourite flower."

He looked down at the table with a small smile. "What classification of mineral is stibnite?"

"Sulfide," I said confidently. "It's a sulfide mineral."

"Close, but no."

"Yes, it is," I insisted.

He shook his head. "No, it's not, it's silicate."

I raised my eyebrows. "Check the book."

"I _will_ check the book," he said, taking it from the pile. He flipped to the right page, read a few lines, then sighed and shook his head. "You're right, it is in the sulfide class."

I smiled widely. "I told you I liked geology."

He returned the smile. "Clearly I do not have a lot to teach you when it comes to geology." He crossed something out in the paper in front of him. "What subjects do you struggle with?"

"History and mathematics."

"So, we can focus on those." He circled them on his list. "Anything else you'd specifically like to study?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Well, I would like to study many things, but I should work on my French, Spanish, and geography."

He circled these on his list as well. "Five subjects should probably be sufficient for now."

For the rest of the morning, he quizzed me in the five subjects to gauge my level. Around twelve-thirty, we both began to feel a bit hungry.

"I think that's probably enough for today," said Julian, closing the atlas.

"We could eat lunch in my room," I suggested as we set the books back on the shelves. "Then we could talk, too."

He smiled. "That would be lovely."

We went up to my room and I rang for lunch. Julian looked around the room as we passed through.

"I see that you recently had a portrait painted," said Julian, referring to the giant portrait of me on the wall.

"Yes," I said, looking up at it. "Kind of ridiculous, having it here, isn't it? It makes me seem narcissistic."

"I wasn't going to say it in that way," he said. "But, yes, a bit."

I shook my head and laughed.

"I assume that it was not your idea to have it hung here," he said as we walked out onto the balcony.

"No, definitely not."

We sat at the small table on the balcony, looking out over the garden.

"Remember when I tried to cure you of your fear of heights?" I asked.

Julian grinned. "Unsuccessfully, I might add."

"I probably just made it worse, didn't I?"

"Well, I very nearly fell to my death, so it would be safe to assume so," he said earnestly.

"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, I was-" I started, but stopped when I said that Julian was trying hard to keep a straight face.

We looked at each other for a moment and then burst out laughing, remembering all the lengths I had gone to to get Julian to climb trees with me.

There was a knock on the door. "Come on in, Maria," I called. "we're on the balcony."

The small redheaded lady's maid came onto the balcony with a tray laden with sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade. Seeing her struggling with its weight, I quickly got up and took it from the smaller girl.

"Thank you, Maria," I said, setting it down on the table.

"You're welcome, highness," she said, dipping into a quick curtsey before leaving.

We each grabbed a sandwich and Julian poured us each a cup of lemonade.

"So," I asked. "How was university?"  
"Didn't you already ask me that last night?"

"Yes, but then we were in the presence of our parents." I grinned. "Now we can speak freely."

"I liked the professors and, like I said before, it had a wonderful library."

"And your fellow students?"

Julian paused a moment before answering. "They were..." he frowned. "alright."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He sighed. "Most were of noble birth. They had all paid to be there. They all thought they deserved to be there more than I did."

I put my sandwich down. "That is ridiculous!" I exclaimed. "You were there through scholarships. I would warrant that you were one of the cleverest students there!"

Julian smiled. "I appreciate the sentiment, but don't worry, it didn't bother me very much. There were a few students I got a long with, who were there for the education, not the prestige."

"Oh, good," I said.

Just then, Serafina padded onto the balcony and hopped onto a chair. I stroked her head.

Julian put his sandwich down and turned to look at the white cat. "Who's this?" he asked, letting Serafina smell his head.

"Serafina," I said. "I got her two years ago."

"She looks very prim and proper," he said as Serafina primly folded her paws beneath her and curled up on the chair.

"Oh, yes, Serafina is a little lady," I said as we went back to our lunch. "Probably more of a lady than I 'll ever be."

We chuckled and continued to eat and chat. Before we realized how the time had flown, it was time for me to go to the Garden Society Tea.

°• •°

 _ **Hi everyone! Thanks for reading this new**_ ** _chapter!_**

 _ **Fun fact about this chapter: stratigraphy was a fairly new study at the time**_ ** _I_** _ **estimated the movie was set (early**_ ** _to mid 1700s)._** _ **Also, all the facts in**_ ** _this chapter are true as far as I know, but if you see a mistake, please tell me (_** _ **I**_ _**don't**_ ** _know a lot about geology)._**

 _ **As always,**_ ** _I_** _ **love you all!**_

 ** _-_** _ **aclmohle**_


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on, Anneliese," Julian encouraged. "You know this! The subjonctif of to drink."

"To drink: _boire_ ," I said, thinking out loud. "Um, _que je boive, que tu boives_ \- with s - _qu'il boives_ \- also with s. Then _que nous buvions, que vous buviez,_ and _qu'ils boivent_ \- with -ent at the end."

Julian smiled. "Very good! And what is the English translation of this verb conjugation?"

"That we drink," I said.

"Yes, well done."

I leaned back in my chair. "I really don't like verb conjugations."

Julian smiled. "Yeah, me neither. I'm afraid French is not my strong suit. I believe using verb conjugations in a practical way will make you remember then. Do you know anyone that you could practise speaking French with?"

"My mother, maybe, but she is very busy these days, and I really would not want to bother her with this. Or any of the other council members for that matter."

"Of course," Julian thought for a moment. "Oh, I know, I have a friend from university coming to visit next week and his French is impeccable. You could practise with him!" He paused. "If that's alright with you."

I smiled. "Of course, that's alright, it'll help my French and I'll also get to meet one of your school friends."

• •

Julian was already in the library when I arrived - as usual. He sat at the table speaking in low tones with a young man with curly blond hair and glasses. They looked up when they heard me.

"Good morning, gentlemen," I said, approaching them with a smile. I turned to the blond man. "You must be Richard," I said.

"An honour, Your Highness," he said with a bow.

"Please, just call be Anneliese," I said, shaking his hand. "I'm so grateful to you for taking time out of your day to help me with my French. You really didn't need to."

"I am happy to help," he said, a little more at ease."

"Well," said Julian, picking up a small stack of books. "I'll leave you two then."

"We'll meet up for lunch?" I asked.

"Yes, that sounds good."

"Then we'll be able to talk," I smiled at Richard. "I'd love to hear what Julian was like at school."

"And I would love to hear what Julian was like as a child," said Richard.

I grinned, looking over at Julian. "Oh, do I have the stories for you."

"Perhaps I should stay to make sure the princess doesn't lie about me," Julian said with a grin, setting down his books again.

"Oh, no," I picked up the books and put them in his arms again. "You shoo." I began to push him towards the door. "We need to practise French."

"Very well," he said as he walked out the door. "Enjoy yourselves."

" _He really likes it here, you know,_ " said Richard in French as I sat down across the table from him.

I smiled. " _I am glad. He is a good friend."_

 _"How long have you been studying French?"_

 _"About eight years."_

 _"Ah, that makes sense, for you have a good accent."_

 _"Thank you."_

 _"So, you and Julian were close as children?"_

 _"Yes, he was my best friend,"_ I said. _"I was sad when he left to go to school."_

 _"When was that?"_

 _"I was eight, he was eleven."_

 _"Did you see him often after that?"_

 _"No, not until earlier this year, after he had finished university,"_ I paused. _"And I am aware that you are deliberately making me practise the past tenses."_

He smiled. " _Julian was right, you are very_ astucieux."

"Astucieux?" I didn't recognize that word.

"Astute, clever," said Richard. "I thought he might be slightly biased because, well..." He paused. "He's your tutor and friend."

As we continued to speak, I found myself having to think less and less about sentence structure and verb tenses. When the clock struck twelve, I looked up in surprise.

Richard looked at the clock as well. "Julian should be here soon." He turned back to me. "I'm glad he got this job. He seems to really enjoy it here."

I smiled. "I hope so. It has been wonderful having him back again. He was always my best friend, you know."

A small smile, slightly sad, crossed his countenance. "You know -"

Suddenly, the door opened and Julian stepped inside. "I hope everything went well," he said.

"Oh yes, very well," I said, turning to Richard. "Thank you so much for your help. Would you like to join Julian and I for lunch?"

"Well," he hesitated. "I wouldn't want to intrude..."

"Intrude? Of course not," I glanced at Julian. "Besides, I haven't told you any stories about Julian yet."

We sat out on my balcony, where Maria had brought us lunch.

"So, Anneliese," said Richard when we had all had a few bites. "You mentioned stories about Julian."

Julian looked at his friend and sighed. "Really?"

I grinned. "Very well." I paused for a moment. "Once, Julian and I were playing hide-and-seek and he had hidden under a table in the throne room. I found him rather quickly, but then we heard footsteps in the hall. I was supposed to be studying in the library, so I didn't want my mother to see me. So, I slid under the table with him." I glanced over at Julian, who was smiling at the memory. "We were trapped under there for an entire hour, which would have been alright - if not boring - had it not been exceedingly dusty under there."

"Oh dear," Richard said with a smile.

I nodded.

"After about the fifth sneeze, a guard came to investigate," Julian said.

"We weren't allowed to play together for a week after that."

"Not that we obeyed that," said Julian with a smile. "It was a few days later that she almost killed me."

Richard nearly choked on his sandwich. "What?"

"He's exaggerating," I assured him, rolling my eyes at Julian.

"If I had fallen, I could've died."

"He always brings this up," I said to Richard. "I was merely trying to cure his fear of heights so he would climb trees with me."

"She decided that the best place to start was the roof of the stables."

As Julian told the story, I remembered that day...

• •

"Come on Julian," I said, one leg already out the attic window of the stables.

Julian stood a fair distance away from the window. "This is a bad idea," he said, his hands twisting nervously.

"It's not that high, Julian," I said, slipping my other leg out the window, so I sat with my back to him. "It'll be fine."

Carefully, I stood up on the slanted roof, holding onto the window for balance. As I started to get out of the way of the window, one of my bare feet slipped.

"Woah!"

"Anneliese!" Julian rushed forward and quickly leaned out of the window.

I quickly grabbed the window again to regain my balance. "I'm alright, don't worry." My heart was hammering in my chest, but I made sure to hide that from him. If he knew I was afraid, so he would never get over his fear.

He was already half out the window now, so I grabbed his arm.

His panicked blue eyes met mine. "What are you doing?"

"Come on," I said, pulling his arm gently. "You're practically out here already."

I let go of his arm and held out my hand. He sighed and took my hand, gripping it tightly. "I've got you," I assured him.

He nodded and carefully stepped out onto the roof. We scrambled to the peak of the roof and sat up there, looking around us.

"Wow," Julian breathed as he gazed at the view.

"Worth the climb?" I asked.

He looked over at me, shaking his head. "If I say yes, you'll make me climb trees with you, won't you?"

I grinned. "Yes."

"Anneliese?" I heard Mr. Cobbler's voice from the other side of the garden.

Julian and I looked at each other. "Quick," I said. "We have to get down."

I carefully slid down the roof. Julian still sat at the top, looking at me apprehensively. "Going down is the worst part."

"Just slide slowly," I told him.

He took a breath and began to slide down, picking up some speed.

"Slowly!" I exclaimed.

He wasn't slowing down and as he neared me at the edge, I reached out desperately with my free hand. I managed to grab his shirt.

Feeling my grip, he reached out and held onto my arm, stopping himself right at the edge. I quickly pulled us towards the window and we tumbled into the attic.

• •

"And then she looks at me and says, 'I told you, I've got you,'" Julian finished, looked over at Anneliese. Their gazes connected for a second, living in the memory for a moment. She smiled, glancing down at the table and then up at him again.

"It's a miracle you two didn't kill each other throughout your childhood," Richard said, breaking the silence.

Julian laughed quickly, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah." He looked at the clock. "We should probably head back to the library."

"I need to visit some people here in the city anyway," Richard said, getting up.

Anneliese rose as well. "Thank you again for all your help, and feel free to come visit anytime."

He nodded respectfully to her and shook Julian's hand heartily. "I'll see you again soon, friend."

"It was nice to have you around again," Julian said.

Richard glanced between Julian and Anneliese one last time before leaving the room.

Julian turned back to Anneliese. "I don't think I ever thanked you for catching me that day."

She smiled, shaking her head. "It was my fault you were in danger in the first place."

She carefully piled all the dishes on the tray and left them for Maria. One wisp of her blonde hair had escaped from its tie and fell over her face. As she looked up again she quickly brushed it behind her ear.

"Shall me?" she asked.

He shook his head quickly. "Of course." _What's getting into me?_

• • •

Hello everyone! Sorry, it's been a bit longer than I had planned, but I added an extra chapter that I hadn't planned on before. Because of this, there may be some typos and grammar errors. I'll go through and edit it later, but I wanted to get this up asap.

If you enjoyed the chapter, leave a comment or vote behind!

I hope the italics weren't too confusing.

Love you all!

\- aclmohle


	5. Chapter 5

I entered the library and found Julian already sitting at the main table.

"Good morning, Anneliese," he said, looking up from a book.

"Good morning," I said cheerfully, plopping into a chair.

"Quite a to-do downstairs," Julian said, glancing at me. "What's going on?"

"The Marvian royal family is coming to visit."

"Ah."

"So... I was hoping we could do a quick refresher study on the Marvian culture, history and royal family members." I smiled hopefully.

Julian sighed but then grinned. "Of course."

 _I can't say no to that face_ , he thought.

• •

"Alright," said Julian. "Members of the Marvian royal family, go!"

I took a breath. "King Leopold, thirty-seven years old. He's been king for five years after his father, Alexander II, died in a hunting accident."

Julian smiled. "Correct."

"Then there's Queen Annamaria, thirty-five years old. Daughter of the king of Sopora. Married King Leopold fifteen years ago. Mother tongue is Spanish, but she also speaks English."

"Correct."

"Then there are the children. Prince Leopold, fifteen years old and named after his father of course. Then Prince Alexander, thirteen years old and named after his grandfather. Princess Lucinda, known as Lucy, eight years old. She's named after her great-aunt and godmother, Lady Lucinda. Oh!" I exclaimed, remembering another member of the family. "Lady Lucinda, the king's aunt and the queen mother's older sister. And of course, queen mother Beatrice." _There, that was it._

"Correct, but you're missing someone," Julian said, encouragingly.

"Am I?" I wracked my brain. "Oh, the youngest prince!" _What is his name again?_ I closed my eyes and scrunched my eyebrows together.

"He is named after a certain national hero?" Julian prompted.

"Samuel!" I exclaimed. "Six years old. Named after the semi-legendary figure, Sir Samuel, a Marvian national hero."

"Well done!" said Julian, smiling. "That's all of the family that is coming."

I grinned. "I think that all this studying deserves a break."

"As your tutor, don't you think that's my decision?" Julian asked.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"And I agree," he said. "Let's go out to the garden."

We were just hurrying out the doorway, smiling, when we met Preminger, my mother's most trusted advisor, in the hallway.

"Princess Anneliese!" he said. "I was looking for you!"

"Good morning, Preminger," I said, still cheerful and hoping that he would let us go soon.

"Your mother is waiting for you in the council room," he said, holding out an arm for me.

"Oh," I said, looking over at Julian. It must be urgent because there was no council meeting scheduled for today. "I suppose I should get going then. See you later, Julian."

"Alright, Anne- Your Highness," said Julian, turning to go out to the garden.

"Enlightening lesson this morning?" Preminger asked with a small smile as he whisked me down the hallway.

• •

Mother and all the other officials were already seated at the table when Preminger and I entered. They all looked very grim and I quickly took my place at my mother's right.

"What happened?" I asked her under my breath.

"Mr. Tilney," said Mother, addressing a man I did not recognize. "Please give the council a short version of your report."

Mr. Tilney stood up. He wore the clothes of a fairly wealthy common person. "I am the foreman of the gold mine, and I am afraid to report that the mine is empty."

My eyes widened. "Empty?" I turned to Mother.

"Thank you, Mr. Tilney," she said.

"I don't mean to be rude, Your Majesty," he said, not sitting down. "but what do I tell my men?"

"You need not worry, Mr. Tilney, I will break the news to your men."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said and sat down.

 _The gold mine was our most valuable natural resource. What are we going to do without it?_

"Well," said my mother, putting her glasses down. "I need not tell you all that this is not a good situation we find ourselves in." She looked around the room. "But with the Marvian royal family arriving tomorrow, I am afraid I will be occupied. If you could all look into long-term solutions in each of your areas, I will make the best trade agreement I can with Marval. With a lack of natural resources, we will have to rely more than ever on trade with our neighbours." She looked at each of them in turn. "Thank you, gentlemen."

The room slowly emptied and I turned to Mother. "What you did for Mr. Tilney, that is important, is it not?"

She gave me a grave smile. "Yes, darling, it is very important."

"What can I do?"

"Nothing at the moment. Just make sure the Marvian royal family has no reason to be opposed to trading with us."

• •

I found Julian in the rose garden. He looked up when he heard my footsteps.

"Am I allowed to know what that was about?" he asked, seeing my serious expression.

I sighed. "I'm sure most of the city knows already: the gold mine is empty."

"Empty?" He stared at me. "That's..."

"Not good?" I looked at the nearby rose bushes.

"Yeah."

We were silent for a moment.

"Hey, Julian?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know of any other valuable natural resources here in Toboso?"

"None worth mentioning."

I sighed again. "I suppose we'll just have to make sure the Marvian royal family enjoys themselves here."

°• •°


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Mother and I sat in the foyer waiting for the Marvian royal family to arrive. Mother had been spending the day brainstorming ways to save money, but there had already been a ball planned for this evening, so we couldn't exactly cancel it. Mother had seen to it that it did not waste any unnecessary money.

We heard carriages roll up and quickly rose and went to the doorway. Stepping out into the sunlight, I saw a row of carriages coming into the castle courtyard. As I came down the steps behind my mother who walked at a reasonable but not hasty pace, I saw the first carriage door open. Out stepped a man in his thirties with a handsome dark face and short black hair. This I assumed with King Leopold.

"Leopold!" my mother exclaimed amicably, shaking his hand heartily. "And Annamaria!" she said as King Leopold helped his wife out of the carriage.

She was a petite woman, whose dark olive skin and black hair set off her red dress beautifully. "Ah, Genevieve, how good to see you again!" she said with a slight Spanish accent.

"And this must be the Princess Anneliese," said King Leopold.

"An honour to meet you, Your Majesty," I said, curtseying.

"The honour is all mine," he said, kissing my hand.

Annamaria came up and embraced me. "I am sure we will get along quickly," she said, smiling.

"As am I," I said, and I meant it.

Two children, a girl and a boy, clambered out of the carriage. The girl was clearly Princess Lucy, for she was a spitting image of her mother. That meant the boy was Prince Samuel.

I crouched in front of them so I was at their eye level. "You must be Princess Lucinda and Prince Samuel," I said. "I am Anneliese, pleased to meet you."

I held out my hand and Princess Lucy shook it enthusiastically. "You can call me Lucy," she said.

Prince Samuel was a little shyer than his sister and avoided my gaze.

"Come on, Sam," Princess Lucy said, pushing him towards me. He shook his head and went over to his mother, clutching her skirts.

Princess Lucy turned to me. "He's shy," she said, very matter-of-factly.

"That's alright, Lucy," I said.

When I rose the passengers of the other carriages had already gotten out. There were two young men, Prince Leopold and Prince Alexander, with a middle-aged man who I did not recognize. Behind them were two older women, clearly the queen mother Beatrice and Lady Lucinda.

As I greeted the boys and was introduced to their tutor, Mr. Lopez, I heard the queen mother mutter to Lady Lucinda, "Having the tutor travel with the princes, especially the crown prince, highly inappropriate."

Lady Lucinda nodded. "Lower people simply do not belong in some places."

I frowned but quickly pasted on a smile as I greeted them. While the younger royals seemed very friendly, I would have to work harder to be pleasurable around them.

• •

"Be careful, Anneliese!" Julian called from below.

"I always am!" I called back, straining for the last apple. I really was not that far from the ground, but Julian was probably worried about what my mother would think if I came back to in a dirty, ripped dress. Not to mention the terrible impression I would make on the Marvian royals as the heir to the Tobosian throne.

"I could just get it for you," he said. "You know I'm taller!"

I laughed. "Of course, I know that. You never failed to inform me of that fact when we were younger!"

Finally, my hand brushed the apple, but I had over-reached and lost my balance. I fell onto Julian and we tumbled together to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Julian asked immediately.

"I should be asking you," I said, brushing my hair back from my eyes. "You broke my fall."

Looking up at him, I laughed, but stopped short when I saw how close we were. He had tried to catch me as I fell, so his hands were on my waist. He seemed to notice this as well, tensing slightly, but not moving away. Our gazes met and I saw fear in his eyes. I probably looked afraid too. We were so close I could feel his breath on my cheek.

I almost leaned in before I knew what I was doing. Suddenly, I saw a figure standing in a window in the palace over Julian's shoulder, clearly watching us.

Quickly, I moved away from Julian. "Clumsy me," I said, laughing nervously. "We'd better get inside before we hurt ourselves." I got up and brushed my dress off as I started for the castle.

Julian stayed seated for a moment. He sighed, closed his eyes and shook his head quickly. Then he got up and followed the princess.

°• •°

 _ **Hey everyone! The sexual tension amiright?! Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter! I was originally gonna put this and the last chapter together, but that seemed like a lot of stuff to happen in one chapter.**_

 ** _Anyway, I'm not entirely_** _**sure**_ ** _how these a/n work. Do I just talk_** _ **about**_ ** _random stuff?_**

 ** _Have y'all heard of Grace Vanderwaal? I'm_** _ **currently**_ ** _obsessed with her new album 'Just the Beginning.' It's really good, you should check it out._**

 ** _Love you all!_**  
 _ **\- aclmohle**_


	7. Chapter 7

After taking a breath, I tapped on the door of Julian's study.

"Come in!"

Stepping into the room, I looked around at the maps and bookshelves lining the walls.

"Oh! Good evening, Anneliese," he said, looking up. "How can I help you?"

"Well..." I sat down in a chair. "I was hoping you could help with the lack of male partners for the ball this evening," I said slowly, watching his reaction.

"I don't think-"

"And before you say you don't think it's appropriate, the Marvian princes' tutor is coming too," I interrupted.

"What about... Lawrence?" he said quickly.

I sighed, smiling at him. "The assistant head butler? He's not as good at dancing as you are."

"I'm out of practice."

"Then, we'll practise now." I got up from my chair and gestured for him to do the same.

He shook his head, smiling. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"No," I said sweetly.

"Oh, alright." He got up and came around the table to me.

I put my hand on his shoulder and he lightly placed his on my waist. We joined our free hands and then looked at each other.

I suddenly was taken back to the dancing lessons I had had when I was about ten years old. Mr. Cobbler had taught me the steps but of course our height difference had been much to different for me to practise properly with him. So, I had danced with Julian.

But this was very different from those lessons in the Blue Hall. Especially after our tumble yesterday afternoon, I was very aware of his hand on my waist and the closeness of our bodies.

"It'll be hard to practise without music," said Julian quietly.

"We'll just count," I said. "Ready?" He nodded. "One, two, three. One, two, three."

As I counted and we did the proper steps, Julian began to hum a familiar tune. I smiled, it was the piece we always used to practise to. We never broke eye contact as he spun me around the room. His eyes were as blue as the sky on an early spring day, with flecks of grey in them.

Julian had never danced with anyone except Anneliese. He had had the chance in university of course, at the local fairs and festivals, but he had never felt confident enough to.

But with Anneliese it was different. He could just be himself around her because they had known each other so long. If going to the ball meant that he could get to dance with her again, with proper music, then he would brave the unknown setting.

Unfortunately, the study was not as spacious as a ballroom, so he accidentally made Anneliese bump into a bookshelf, thus propelling himself closer to her still. She inhaled sharply and he quickly stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Anneliese," he said.

She finally broke eye contact and glanced down at the floor nervously. _Nervously? What did she have to be nervous about?_

"That's alright," she said, looking up at him and grinning. "Well, I think you dance well enough to not embarrass yourself tonight."

He returned the smile. "If you say so. I shall see you then."

"Yes, see you then." She turned to go but before she was completely out the door and she turned back and said, "Wear the dark blue jacket, it looks good on you." And with that, she disappeared.

Julian smiled to himself. The dark blue jacket it was.

• •

Mother had had me have the new dress made at Madame Carp's dress Emporium for the ball. As always, I was thoroughly impressed with the pale blue gown with golden embroidery.

As Maria helped me into the dress, I wondered how Julian was getting on. I hoped he wasn't too nervous. Maybe I shouldn't have pressured him into coming.

"There we are, Highness," said Maria when she had finished lacing the back.

"Thank you, Maria," I said, turning in the mirror to admire the dress. "What are the lady's maids saying about our guests?"

I could see Maria's slight smile in the mirror. I had found out years ago that the best way to learn about someone's character was through those waiting on them.

"Well, I don't know about the men or boys, Your Highness," she said. "But I heard from Sophie that Queen Annamaria is very kind and that the little princess is a sweetheart."

I smiled. "And the king's mother and aunt?"

"I don't want to be disrespectful..." Maria said uncertainly.

"It's just me, Maria," I said, turning to her. "I just want to know what you've heard."

"The king's aunt sent Cassie back four times with the ironing this morning because she said it wasn't done right." Maria paused. "And Kathleen said that the queen mother is worse."

"Oh, poor Kathleen." Kathleen was a sweet, quiet girl. "Cassie can handle it probably, but Kathleen would be much better suited to serve the queen."

Maria looked hopeful. "I was thinking the same thing, Highness."

I smiled. "Perfect, I'll see what I can do." I made a mental note to discuss the matter with Mrs. Acton, the head of the household staff, tomorrow morning.

 _ **Hey**_ ** _everyone_** _ **! How are**_ ** _y'all_** _ **doing?**_

 ** _Wow, we're already almost halfway through August! it just me or did this summer go by super fast? I'm_** _ **already sorting my stuff to**_ ** _move_** _ **into my dorm in September (first year of university!).**_

 ** _Anyway, love you all!_**

 ** _\- aclmohle_**


	8. Chapter 8

As the guests filtered into the ballroom, Mother sat in her throne with me to her right to greet them.

First were King Leopold and his lovely and petite wife, Annamaria. They were followed by Leopold, Alexander, Lucy and Samuel.

While Prince Leo, as he was known, and Alexander, fifteen and thirteen respectively, were used to such events, the six-year-old Samuel looked around with wide eyes at the colours around him. Lucy stayed at his side and smiled at everyone around her.

The princes Leo and Alexander bowed properly and Lucy prodded Samuel to do the same. He did so, mimicking his brothers as Lucy curtseyed.

I smiled as I curtseyed to them. I had always wondered what it would have been like to have a sibling. When I was younger, I suppose that Julian was like a brother to me, but now it was different.

After them came the queen mother, Beatrice, closely followed by her sister, Lady Lucinda. After what I had heard them say this morning and Maria's comments about them, I had to force myself to be pleasant.

Following the main royal family came a whole host of lords and ladies, both from Marval and our country. As we greeted them, I kept my eyes peeled for Julian. He knew the starting time, did he not?

Then I saw him in the line-up, talking quite animatedly with Mr. Lopez, the tutor of the Marvian princes. I smiled, _Good, they're getting along quite nicely._

As they approached Mother and me, I smiled and said, "Mr. Cobbler, I was starting to despair of you coming this evening."

"Not to worry, Your Highness," he said, smiling as well. "I am here now."

"And Mr. Lopez," I said, turning my attention to the Marvian tutor. "I am glad to see you could make it."

"Oh, no, thank you, Your Highness, for assuring me that I would not be the only tutor here tonight."

"Of course, Mr. Lopez, my pleasure."

Before turning away with his new friend, Julian caught my eye and shook his head, smiling slightly. I raised my eyebrows and shrugged, feigning innocence.

As I turned back to the next guests, I saw the queen mother watching me intently, glancing at Julian and then back at me. _Odd_ , I thought, but then turned my attention back to the guests.

Later on, at the first dance, as tradition would have it, King Leopold, of course, asked my mother and Prince Leo asked me.

"I hope you are enjoying your visit," I said as we turned over the dance floor.

"Very much," he said, the picture of politeness. "This palace is wonderfully situated."

I smiled. A good, classic answer. But I had to put him at ease somehow. "Do you enjoy riding, Highness? I hear Marval has many beautiful places to ride." I remembered what Julian had said about how Prince Leo loved horseback riding.

His eyes lit up and I knew that Julian had been right, as always. "Oh, yes, I do."

"So, are the rumours true?" I asked playfully. "Is Marval the best country to go riding in?"

He smiled. "I am surprised that you would not claim that of your own country, Your Highness."

"Oh, please, call me Anneliese," I said. "And while I am proud of my country, I am not blind. I have seen some beautiful Marvian landscape paintings."

"Well, then, I confess," said Prince Leo, mirroring my playfulness. "Marval is the best country in which to ride."

There was a lull in the conversation as we each turned to our own corners as the dance prescribed. Taking advantage of this, I looked for Julian.

He was near the edge of the dancefloor, dancing with Princess Lucy, much to her mother's approval.  
I smiled widely at the adorable sight. I had no idea that Julian was so good with children.

As we met up again, Prince Leo followed my gaze and smiled as well when he saw his little sister giggle as Julian twirled her around.

"That is your tutor, is it not?" he asked as we danced on.

"Yes, Ju- Mr. Cobbler."

"He looks quite young to be a tutor."

"I suppose," I said. "He is recently out of university and is the son of my former tutor."

"Ah," he said, nodding.

Prince Leo was much more relaxed for the rest of the dance, which soon ended. After that, I danced the required dances with King Leopold and Preminger. For the fourth dance, I found myself without a partner with the dance about to start. I was about to join the ladies at the tables for a drink when Julian at my side.

"May I have this dance, Your Highness?" he asked with a sweeping bow.

"Of course, Mr. Cobbler, it would be my pleasure," I said, curtseying and taking his hand.

We quickly took our places as the music started up. This one was faster, the gavotte. I hoped Julian remembered how it went.

"Was there actually a lack of gentlemen at this ball?" he asked.

I smiled. _Leave it to Julian to get straight to the point._ "No."

"So why did you invite me?"

I glanced around to make sure no one could hear and then leaned in and whispered, "It may have been to spite the queen mother."

He looked at me in surprise. "What? Why?"

"She was talking about how she thought Mr. Lopez didn't belong in a carriage with the older princes, which struck a nerve with me, I suppose." I smiled bashfully. "So, I invited you and then I invited Mr. Lopez because I told you I'd already invited him."

He shook his head as he twirled me.

"You're happy you came though, right?" I asked.

He smiled. "Yes, I am happy to be here."

We danced apart and back together again. "That was nice what you did for Princess Lucy," I said.

Julian chuckled. "She was the one who asked me actually." He spun me around again. "You put the prince at ease too."

"Yeah, he was much too stiff to be enjoying the ball. It was your tip on riding that did that."

"Really?"

"And a bit of flattery," I conceded.

We laughed and soon enough, the dance ended. Still arm in arm, we stepped off the dance floor, slightly out of breath from the fast dance.

"Shall I get you a drink, Your Highness?" Julian asked.

"That would be lovely, thank you."

As I watched him weave through the crowd, I heard someone saying Julian's name and listened carefully without turning my head.

"...Julian Cobbler?" It was the queen mother.

"Yes," said King Leopold. "The princess's tutor."

"He and the princess do seem to have a _very_ close relationship."

 ** _°• •°_**

 ** _ **A/N**_**

 ** _ **Hey, everyone!**_**

 ** _ **If you liked this chapter, please leave a review or comment behind, they're much appreciated!**_**

 ** _ **Also, has anyone seen Mamma Mia 2 yet? I'm planning on seeing it too, but I've heard mixed opinions from people.**_**

 ** _ **Anyway, love you all!**_**

 ** _ **\- aclmohle**_**


	9. Chapter 9

"What are you suggesting, Mother?" the king replied, sounding tired.

"I am suggesting that the princess, the future leader of Toboso, may not have her mind fully on leading her country."

"And how do you see that in her dancing with her tutor?"

"Do you not see the way they were looking at each other? Do you not think it strange how close in age they are?"

"And yesterday afternoon," said Lady Lucinda, joining the discussion. "I saw them practically in each other's arms in the garden."

I closed my eyes. _Oh, no,_ she _had been the one in the window and had seen us in an easily misconstrued position._

"And if they end up giving in to their feelings," the queen mother continued. "Either the tutor becomes the royal consort, or she runs away with him, leaving the country without a ruler." She set forth the two options as if they were equally bad.

The king was silent for a few moments. _He's not really listening to this, is he?_

"I shall observe myself and if you are right about this indiscretion with her tutor, then we will have to factor it into our trade relationship."

 _No, no, no, this is not good. Marval is one of our main trade partners. I cannot have them doubting my commitment, especially not at this time._

I saw Julian coming with two drinks and heard King Leopold, his mother, and his aunt go quiet.

"Your drink, Your Highness," Julian said, handing me a glass.

"I think you for your pains, Mr. Cobbler," I said coolly.

Julian looked at me strangely. Even in public we were never this formal. "I apologize for how long it took," he said. "I met Mr. Lopez on the way."

"Oh, I would not want to stand in the way of your conversation with a fellow tutor," I said quickly. "Please, go back to him."

He raised an eyebrow. "Very well, Your Highness," he said, matching my cool tone and turning away.

I winced at the cold civility. I should not have invited him, having to act like I do not care is so difficult. _But I'll explain everything tomorrow,_ I assured myself. _He'll understand._

As I went to find someone else to talk to, I didn't even bother to glance back at the three who had been watching us. I knew that what I had said was cold enough, that was why it had hurt so much.

• •

I tried to avoid Julian for the rest of the evening, instead spending time with Queen Annamaria and the rest of the Marvian court. Julian would send me questioning looks that I would pretend not to see and all in all, it was not a particularly pleasant evening for me.

I tried to be pleasant for the guests and was fairly successful at that. Queen Annamaria was lovely as always, telling sweet anecdotes about her children. King Leopold was charming as ever and Prince Leo, now at ease, turned out to be very witty.

Princess Lucy and the two younger princes had of course long gone to bed and, as the evening wore on, more lords and ladies took their leave. After some time, it was only Mother and I and the main part of the Marvian royal family. Julian wasn't here anymore, although I had not noticed him leave. He had not said goodbye, though I doubted whether Lady Lucinda or the queen mother had noticed that.

"I am feeling a bit tired, my love," said Annamaria to her husband. "I think I shall retire." She turned to Mother and I. "Thank you both for a lovely evening."

"I think we shall all be going," said King Leopold. "I am sure our hosts are just as much in need of rest as we are."

Grateful for King Leopold's comment, I was soon walking down the hall to my room. As I turned the corner, I saw Julian standing outside my door. I looked around, making sure there was no one around to see and misinterpret this.

He looked up when he heard my footsteps and quickly approached me. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"No," I said quickly.

"Then what the hell is it?" he busted out, but then sighed and said quietly: "Sorry. What happened this evening?"

"I was going to tell you tomorrow," I said, sighing and glancing up and down the hallway. If Lady Lucinda or the queen mother or – worse – the king found us like this, we might as well kiss a better trade agreement goodbye. But it didn't look like Julian was leaving without an explanation. I sighed again and muttered. "Alright, fine." And, glancing up and down the hallway one last time, I opened my door and quickly pushed Julian inside.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. Julian stared at me. "What are you doing?"

"I avoided you this evening because Lady Lucinda saw us yesterday at the apple tree. She and the queen mother were suspicious and told King Leopold that perhaps I was not fully committed to ruling and was... distracted. If they had thought that we were... involved, then this trade talk would not go well, because of an unstable future ruler, or something like that." I said this all very quickly, avoiding Julian's gaze.

Julian was quiet for a minute. "You avoided me because the queen mother and her sister wanted to spread a rumour?"

"Yes," I said slowly, uncertain where he was going with this.

"So, first you invite me to spite her and now you let her control you?"

"I didn't realize how much control she had over her son!" I exclaimed. "I thought he had more sense than that."

Julian knew she was right. But that didn't mean it hurt less. Whether it was his pride or his feelings that had gotten hurt, he was unsure. He turned to go.

"Julian, wait." There was pain in her voice. He stopped.

"I hate it, you know," she said, and Julian turned to look at her. She didn't avoid his gaze now. "I hate how I have to act differently around you when there are others around. I hate hearing you call me Princess and Your Highness. I hate having to pretend not to care about you because I do!" She quieted. "I do care about you."

Julian wanted to kiss her. He really did.

"But the people always come first," she continued. "You know that."

He looked at her for a moment, seeing how her shoulders were squared and how she was trying to hide her quivering lower lip and blink the tears in her eyes away. "I do understand," he said, turning to go. "I'll make sure no one sees me leave."

"Thank you, Julian," Anneliese said quickly.

Julian said nothing as he quietly closed the door behind him.

I sank into my comfortable chair and kicked off my shoes. He understands what I was doing, I thought. Then why do I feel so terrible?

I sighed and shook my head. I would think about it in the morning.

°• •°

Hey everyone! I hope you liked this new chapter!

It can't be interesting without some things getting in between them, right?

Love you all!

\- aclmohle


	10. Chapter 10

The trade negotiations went surprisingly well. My act at the ball had entirely convinced the king that there was nothing untoward happening between Julian and me – not that there was anyway. This also made him rely less on his mother's council, as she continually wanted to put us at a disadvantage.

Of course, Mother had me sit in on all of the meetings so that I knew how trade negotiations went, so I hardly saw Julian all week.

Finally, the day came when the Marvian family was to return home. While I did enjoy some of their company, everyone was so on edge with them around, it would be nice to be on our own again.

Mother and I stood at the palace gates as the Marvian family got ready to leave. The carriages pulled up and I began my farewells to the children.

Just as I was shaking Prince Alexander's hand, I saw Julian running up the path to the palace. He tried to get my attention but I turned away. Whatever it was, it could wait until the prying Marvian eyes were gone.

I went on to Princess Lucy, who stood beside her mother, holding onto her skirts.

"Farewell, Princess Lucy," I said curtseying to her.

She returned the curtsey and said a quick, "Goodbye."

Queen Annamaria smiled and embraced me. "Thank you for a lovely visit," she said.

"Oh, no," I said. "Thank you for coming all this way, especially with your entire family. It has been a pleasure having you."

My eye was caught again by movement at the gate. Julian was urgently waving his arms as he spoke with two of the guards. He saw me looking at him and mouthed something I didn't understand.

The coachmen were starting to look at him suspiciously and I knew it was only a matter of time before more people noticed him.

"Please excuse me," I said to King Leopold as I hurried towards Julian.

When I passed by the carriages, he desperately pushed past the guards. "Anneliese, no!" he called out.

Suddenly, all the coachmen pulled off their livery, exposing the weapons concealed beneath.

That was what Julian had tried to tell me: _They're not coachmen._

A strong hand grabbed my arm, but I kicked the man in the shin and managed to pull away. I rushed away from the group of men who I saw were armed with picks, axes, and a few swords and spears.

The sound of running steps echoed from the palace. _Good, the palace guard has been alerted,_ I thought. Then I noticed that they had no way to get to me. I was flanked on either side by our attackers. In going towards Julian, I had isolated myself from everyone else.

To my right, I saw Julian disarm a man and take his axe. He swung it around him, clearing a path to me.

He rushed towards me. "Are you alright?" he asked quickly, warding off attackers.

"I'm fine," I said.

The attackers were closing in and Julian turned towards them and stepped in front of them. "Stay behind me," he said, handing me a small knife from his belt. "If they get to you, don't hesitate."

The carved wooden handle felt strange in my hand, heavy with what Julian had said.

 _Don't hesitate._

Julian had not seen Anneliese afraid in a long time. But she looked scared now, her eyes wide as he had handed her the knife. It wasn't the best weapon, but it was all he had on him.

"Julian!" the queen called out from somewhere to their left. She sounded calm and authoritative, much different from her normal soft tone. Julian now understood the stories he had heard from older men about how she used to speak to the troops. "Get her out of here!"

Looking around him, Julian saw that they were standing in front of the walkway up to the main doors. Unfortunately, the walkway was four feet up and the steps were inaccessible to them.

He swung the axe around to ward off any approaching rebels and asked Anneliese, "Can you get up onto that ledge?"

She looked up apprehensively. "Not on my own."

Two rebels approached and Julian knocked their weapons aside. They had to get out of here before more came. He could see another group coming. Sweeping the axe around again one last time, he put it down and pulled Anneliese back to the ledge. Ignoring her questions, he lifted her up so she sat on the ledge.

She quickly got up and held out her hand to help him up.

"Go!" Julian told her, picking up the axe again and backing against the wall, fighting off more rebels.

"Take my hand!" she insisted.

"Get out of here!"

"Take. My. Hand." She repeated.

He looked up at her. Her eyes flashed with determination. If she didn't go soon, the rebels would get to her. They were already going up the steps. So, he tossed his axe into the ledge and, using Anneliese's help, pulled himself up onto the ledge. 

As soon as he was up, I dragged him towards the doorway. I heard running footsteps and saw a group of men running at us from the steps.

Still gripping Julian's hand tightly, I pulled us down the hallway and turned into the first doorway I saw.

Julian slammed the door behind us and stood against it, keeping it closed as I glanced around the room. It was the Blue Hall, and I quickly went over to one of the tables and started to push it towards the door. Julian saw what I was doing, but couldn't leave the door as we could already hear the men on the other side trying to get in.

Finally, I pushed the table against the door and we both sat on it to give it more weight.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," I said, a little out of breath.

His lips tightened and he nodded.

"How did you know what was happening?"

"I overheard the plans in a pub and came as quickly as I could."

Before I could respond, the door and table shuddered as the door was dealt a heavy blow. Another blow soon followed and Julian and I looked at each other.

"If they get through," Julian said. "You run to the other door while I hold them off."

"There are at least five men out there," I hissed urgently. "I'm not going without you."

"You have to get out," he insisted. "I- you're the heir to the throne." Another shuddering blow accompanied with the sound of cracking wood. "The kingdom needs you."

 _But it doesn't need_ _me_ , I heard in his voice. "But I-" I was interrupted by the door giving way, sending Julian and I tumbling to the floor.

Julian was up first and he pulled me to my feet and pushed me to the back of the room.

"Go!" he shouted.

°• •°

 _A/N_

 ** _Cliffhanger!_** ** _I know,_ _I'm_ _t_ _he_ _worst_ _._**

 ** _Hope you_ _guys_ _liked this_ _chapter_ _anyway_ _._**

 ** _Love_ _you_ _guys_ _!_**  
 _\- aclmohle_


	11. Chapter 11

Propelled by Julian's push, I stumbled to the back of the room. Before I went through the other door, I glanced back at Julian. Since he had left the axe behind, he had picked up a chair and brandished it in front of him. Six or seven men charged into the room.

"The princess!" their leader ordered. "We want her alive!"

 _Alive?_

Encouraged by this, I walked towards them. "What do you want?"

They stopped their advance and looked at me uncertainly.

Julian looked back at me, eyes wide. "What are you doing? Go!"

I ignored this, but as I walked past him, I touched his arm to assure him and whispered, "Don't worry, I've got you.

Standing between him and the men, I asked. "What was your goal in coming here?"

"We want our due," said a man in the back.

"Your due?"

"They're miners," said Julian from behind me. "They used to work in the gold mine."

"Yeah, until we got let go," said another man. "Courtesy of your mother, the queen."

"That was because the mine ran empty," I said. "I'm afraid we couldn't do anything about that."

"That doesn't really fill our bellies does it, Your Highness?"

I heard fighting in the hallway. _The guards will be here soon,_ I thought. I didn't want to deceive them, but I had already done the math: one successful attack would lead to more, plunging Toboso into chaos.

I would have to keep them talking until the guards got here.

"How can I help you?" I asked as earnestly as I could.

They relaxed a little at this but did not lower their weapons.

"We'd like compensation," said one.

"Or jobs," piped up another.

"Yes, jobs," agreed a third.

I could hear the guards getting closer and I paused for a moment, pretending to think. When the guards were almost at the door, I called out, "Help, I'm in here!"

Before the rebels could react, the guards were already in the room surrounding them, with more filing in. Julian reached for my hand and squeezed it encouragingly. "Well done," he whispered.

"Are you hurt, Your Highness?" asked a guard.

"No, I am alright," I said, avoiding the rebels' betrayed expressions. I was about to turn to Julian when I heard my mother calling for me in the hallway.

"Anneliese?"

"Mother!" I cried in relief, running out to the hallway. Mother's hair was in disarray and her dress was ripped but she did not look particularly shaken.

"Anneliese!" she exclaimed when she saw me. We rushed forward for a hug. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no," I assured her. "Julian got me some place safe."

"Oh, good," she said.

 _Where is Julian?_ I looked around and saw him exiting the room we were just in.

Julian almost rushed to Anneliese for a hug, but then saw her mother standing near. The Marvian royal family also stood in the foyer, not to mention all the guards milling around.

Anneliese noticed them too and nodded her head to him, mouthing the words, "Thank you."

He nodded in return. "You too."

She smiled and then turned to the Marvian children, making sure that they were alright.

He smiled sadly to himself as he walked away. He knew two things with absolute certainty now:

One: Anneliese was going to be a great queen someday.

And two: he loved her.

°• •°

 _Hey everyone! Sorry, it's been a while since I published a new chapter. I just started university and am currently adjusting to the new environment._

 _A bit of a shorter chapter this time, but I hope y'all liked it and I'll try to publish regularly from now on._

 _Love you all!_

 _\- aclmohle_


	12. Chapter 12

Waking up the next morning, I found my mind clearer than it had been the evening before. I found that my decision had been made: I was going to tell him. I had to. I couldn't just keep this a secret, not when I thought that he might feel the same.

It had grown so slowly over the last few months, but now – as Maria did up the back of my dress – I was certain.

I loved him.

I was in love with Julian.

Going down to breakfast, I couldn't help but smile broadly as I almost skipped down the halls. I couldn't wait to talk to Julian afterwards.

Mother looked quite solemn as I entered, but she always did these days.

"Good morning, Mother," I said, sitting down in the chair the footman pulled out for me.

"Good morning, darling," she said.

As breakfast was served, I heard Mother take a deep breath and I looked at her curiously. "I may have discovered a way to save the kingdom," she said slowly.

"How?" I asked excitedly.

"Do you remember the king of Dulcinea?"

"I remember you going to his coronation last year. I could not accompany you because I was ill."

"Well, I have received a letter inquiring after a possible match between him and you."

"A match," I said slowly, not fully understanding. "You mean..."

"A marriage."

"A marriage," I repeated.

"It would solve our financial problems and the Dulcinean royal family would be joined with one of the oldest royal families in the world."

I was still speechless. _Marry a stranger?_ What cruel irony was this on the morning I had decided to tell Julian my true feelings. 

Julian approached the open doorway of the breakfast room to see if they were finished. He saw Anneliese and the queen sitting at the table.

"I realize this is not what you wanted," the queen was saying. "It is not what I wanted for you either, but it is our only option.

Anneliese' expression was as composed as ever as she said, "I understand, Mother. It is my duty and pleasure to do what is best for the people." She paused. "Please excuse me, Mother. I must go to my studies." Her voice sounded tight.

Julian quickly ducked out of the doorway – he didn't want them to think he was eavesdropping. But as he did, he saw Anneliese' expression as she turned away from her mother: anger mixed with sadness.

 _What could they have been discussing that she had to hide her feelings from her mother?_

As Anneliese exited, he pretended to be just walking past.

"I was wondering if you'd be done-" he stopped.

After seeing him, she was now very close to tears. She took one look at him and quickly walked in the direction of the library. Julian walked beside her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Anneliese, are you alright?" 

I had hoped to go to my room to first compose myself, but seeing Julian right now was just too much. I managed to not fully cry until we entered the library. Julian guided me to our favourite reading place at the back of the room. We sat in the windowsill benches and he put his arm around me comfortingly. He didn't ask me what had happened until I stopped crying.

"What is it, Anneliese?" he asked softly. "Is it anything I can help with?"

I shook my head and quickly tried to wipe my tears away. "It's unavoidable." I could feel his gaze on me, but I avoided it and instead looked out the window. "I am to marry the king of Dulcinea."

He didn't say anything, so I glanced over to gauge his reaction. He wouldn't meet my eyes. _Did he maybe feel the same way I did?_

"And you don't want to?" he asked quietly.

I frowned. "I know it is what I am supposed to do..."

"If it was entirely up to you, would you?" He met my eyes.

"I..." I thought about it. _Would I?_ "I would. Because it's the only way to help our financial situation without pressure on the lower classes." 

Julian knew when she said that, he would have no chance. Anneliese would never abandon her people for her own gain, even if she did feel the same way.

And she was right, he knew she was. He couldn't just ask her to run away with him. 

I saw an expression of sadness and resignation pass over his face. He _did_ feel the same way, I knew it.

But that didn't matter now, so it was best not to say anything out loud. That would only lead to more heartbreak than was necessary.

"You'll be a great queen someday," he said quietly. "I know you will."

Another tear trickled down my cheek and I quickly hugged him. We both held tight like we didn't want to let go.

But we did.

Because we would never be anything more than friends. Because I was the princess and he was the tutor's son.

°• •°

 _Hey everyone!_

 _So I was kind of thinking that this would be the end, but I want to know what y'all think. Should I end it here, or should I do a kind of epilogue-type thing?_

 _Anyway, if this is the end, thank you so much for reading my story! I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Seeing as there is a severe lack of Barbie movie (especially Princess and the Pauper) fanfiction, I'm planning on writing more._

 _You guys are the best and I love you all!_

 _\- aclmohle_


	13. Chapter 13 Epilogue

_Seven months later_

I opened my eyes blearily to the light blurring its way through the gauzy curtains. Rubbing my eyes and pushing my hair out of my face, I rolled over and smiled at Julian's sleeping face. Being careful not to disturb him, I got up carefully and wrapped myself in a thin robe. Stepping out onto the balcony, I stared out at the ocean, the horizon blurring into the sky in the morning mist.

The coastal palace was the perfect place for a honeymoon. The sound of the waves lapping gently against the rocky beach was a nice calm change to the action and busyness of the past year. After all of the secrets and kidnapping and intrigue, this serene happiness seemed almost like a dream.

Julian rolled over, but found the other side of the bed empty. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw the that the only sign that anyone had even been there was a slight indent in the pillow. _Did I dream the whole thing?_ he wondered for a panicked second. _But then why would I be sleeping in a palace bed?_ he rationalized.

Sitting up, he couldn't help but stare around at the splendour of the room as he had when he first arrived. His position in this lavish world was so much different than it had been before. If the Marvian royal family's reaction to the possibility of romance between Anneliese and himself was any indication, there was a long road ahead. He wouldn't be king of course, but he would be an important member of the royal family.

 _I'm a member of the royal family._

The sentence sounded strange in his head. It was all so surreal.

He stood up and walked out to the door that led to the balcony. Anneliese stood at the edge, her long blonde hair and light pink robe blowing around her in the slight breeze. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought for the thousandth time.

I heard soft footsteps behind me and looked over my shoulder to see Julian – hair ruffled from sleep – coming out onto the balcony.

"Good morning," I said, smiling.

Coming to stand beside me, he draped an arm around my waist and gently kissed me on the cheek. "Good morning," he said quietly.

Leaning my head on his shoulder, I breathed in the lovely salty air. Small white birds soared and dipped around the rocks.

" _Sterna paradisaea_ ," I said quietly.

Glancing up at Julian, I saw him smile a little and nod.

Mother had been somewhat uncertain about the entire arrangement, but once I had shown her the geodes in the mine that could save the kingdom, she had agreed. We would face judgment from the nobles and royalty from other countries, of course. And Julian still had a lot to learn if he was to be the future prince consort.

But standing here with Julian -

Standing here with Anneliese -

We could face it because we were together.

The princess and the tutor's son.

Who could have guessed?

°• •°

 _ **So I was originally going to leave this story as it was – with a bittersweet ending – but I couldn't help myself. So here you are, I hope y'all liked it! It was fun to write some good old fluff after all that intrigue in the last couple chapters.**_

 _ **Anyway, thanks for joining me on this little dalliance. Maybe I'll see y'all again.**_

 _ **I love you all!**_

 _ **\- aclmohle**_


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